CSA Newsletter #17
Well, fall has seemed to escalate quickly. Leaves are beginning to make their beautiful transformation and my wife and I are starting to go back and forth about turning on the heat. After the summer we had the cooler temperatures are definitely welcome. I don't know about y'all but I really enjoy starting the day with a sweatshirt and then having to take it off as the day moves along.
As September starts to turn to October (how did that happen?), we need to start thinking about putting the farm to bed and the big projects we need to finish before that happens. Now we don't shut down completely but the amount of work getting done outdoors shifts dramatically to mostly indoor work.I like to have things mostly cleaned up and the last of the things that need to happen before things are cold and snowy. Two jobs that we will get done in the next 5-6 weeks are planting next year's garlic and moving the movable high tunnels over their winter beds. Some other things that we will be working on are saving seed and starting rhubarb for next year, continuing to clear out and clean up the high tunnels, we are going to take cuttings of some of our black currant plants to start for sale next year and clean up the greenhouse when ready. It's a lot to get done but this is a great group on interns this semester that are working very hard.
The CSA share this week will be the last for the shishito peppers. It was a good run for them but they are mostly harvested and are ready to be pulled. The sweet bells and the sweet fryers are continuing to produce at a good pace. There will still be hot peppers and lemongrass, as well as garlic and kohlrabi. The cherry and heirloom tomatoes are slowing down but still producing. The beefsteaks are pushing on but the sauce tomatoes are taking a break this week and I'm not sure if they are completely done. Rainbow chard is returning along with newcomer collards. And also making a comeback this week..... basil! We had some time to clean up the plants and that combined with the folks who u-picked, is making for some nice looking basil. Lastly, there will be kale again. This week there will be bunches of Red Russian and bags of Curly and Lacinato to choose from.
Have a great week!
-Farmer Todd